| Seething has been rescheduled...for now. |
| They can still roll their eyes, can't they? |
Morocco's moderate Islamist party is crying foul after failing to become the largest party in the country's parliamentary elections, which were won instead by a traditional secular nationalist party, but marred by a record low turnout. Saadeddine Othmani, leader of the Justice and Development party (PJD), accused unnamed rivals of buying votes. "Money was our first enemy," he said. "We think that the PJD is the [real] winner."
International observers said Friday's vote had taken place "in an orderly fashion", though there had been "isolated irregularities". The western-backed Rabat government, anxious to burnish its liberal and democratic credentials, pledged to examine any charges of vote buying - which anecdotal evidence during the campaign suggested was common.
Moroccans had been urged to do their duty and vote, but scepticism was rife since real power rests with King Mohammed VI, who defines himself as an "executive monarch" and appoints ministers, including the prime minister, regardless of the election result. Early figures showed turnout was just 37%. The Istiqlal (Independence) party was the surprise winner, with 52 of the 325 seats in the lower house. The PJD won 47 seats, up from 42 in 2002, but the conservative, monarchist Islamists - presenting themselves explicitly as a bulwark against extremism - had hoped to win up to 80 seats, and had been expected to be the largest single party. |